First-ever national FODE high school exams completed along the Kokoda Track

The Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF) has marked a historic moment by supporting the completion of the very first national high school examinations conducted along the Kokoda Track. KTF's Mt Koiari FODE (Flexible Open Distance Education) College, which officially commenced its operations in 2022, has now successfully concluded the final examinations for grades 9 to 12. A total of 41 students have collectively completed over 300 subject year-end exams.

Joe Wenis, Principal at Mt Koiari FODE College says “Comparing the past, many of the school leavers have had to walk the rugged mountain terrains and cross the fast-flowing rivers just to get to Port Moresby to register at the Waigani FODE. However, due to the distance, the costs of the materials and the weight of carrying them back and forth, many did not continue their studies to the end. They gave up and stayed back in the villages. But now that KTF has established this FODE Centre at Mt Koiari, right at their doorsteps, it really has eased all their pains and burdens. They are grateful to have this FODE Centre.” Located in the remote village of Manari along the Kokoda Track, Mt Koiari College is so isolated and hard to reach that lecturers, supplies and educational resources need to be brought in via helicopter or through the engagement of local porters. As a result, communities across the Mt Koiari region now have a second chance at gaining a secondary education.

In a country where over 80% of the population lives in rural and remote areas, a lack of accessible and high-quality education is a widespread issue in Papua New Guinea. This is caused by various reasons such as not enough teachers available to teach the overcrowded classes or keep schools open, limited educational resources, lack of infrastructure support, long travel distances to the closest school or pressures to undertake family and household responsibilities (often affecting women and girls). KTF seeks to resolve many of these barriers by providing education opportunities to rural and remote communities. Mt Koiari College is the first offering of the FODE program along the Kokoda Track, providing critical second-chance educational pathways to communities along the Kokoda Track. KTF’s FODE model employs a combination of intensive face-to-face learning coupled with remote self-directed study supported by e-learning. The aim of KTF’s FODE College’s is to help early school leavers matriculate at a grade 12 level or help students upgrade their marks, in turn increasing the number of students able to pursue education and health pathways that will assist their local communities.

“We are so delighted to see the national examinations take place along the Kokoda Track this year,” says Dr Genevieve Nelson, CEO of KTF. “We are proud of the hard work and dedication of every student who has achieved this milestone and look forward to seeing their educational journey continue.”

KTF is grateful for the generous support received from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and the Kokoda Initiative as well as donations from the Australian public.